#ThrowbackThursday: Josephine Baker

Josephine Baker, was born Freda Josephine McDonald on June 3rd 1906. She literally started from the bottom, scraping her way to survive in St. Louis and ended up dancing into the hearts of the world. 

When intense racism hampered her success, she took to Paris France, where she achieved much of her fame. Her appeal was humor mixed with sensuality, earning her titles such as "The Black Pearl" and "Bronze Venus".

Through this fabulous woman's life she had been a dancer (most famous for her banana costume dance) singer, actress (being the first African American to star in a major motion picture, Zouzou in 1934) civil rights activist, and even a spy for the French during World War II, receiving French military honor. 

She passed April 12th, 1975 in Paris. Yet she remains one of the epitomes of classic beauty, sexuality, passion and humor.